Hello Ol Friend

It is hard to believe it's been nearly 6 months since my last post.  I'd love to say I've been off on a dream vacation enjoying white sand beaches, crystal blue water, warm sunny weather, and listening to my family create new memories...but I haven't.  I am SO blessed though that these last few months haven't been filled with sorrow nor loss. What these last few months have been filled with is a busy , flourishing shop with wonderful customers & friends, and lots of amazing treasures!  Life is great at Carter's Cottage, and busy!


June 2011

On June 15th, 2013 my little shop will celebrate it's 2nd Birthday!  Yep! It's been 2 years!  So much has changed since that first day and I'm so PROUD of where I've come and where I'm going.

Many have asked how am I so successful.  Well, success can be measured in many ways and not to gloat, I am success in many ways....and I'm not so successful in many other ways!  What I have the most difficulty with is delegating & asking for help.  It's gotten easier, but it's still hard to ask at times. 

I now only do what I'm good at...so I hired someone to help with the books. Now that makes me happy, happy, happy!  I also hire a crew to help me move things around the shop and for shows.  I also have limited how many shows I do.  Yes, I just did NaDa...but forgot my camera! UGH!

Speaking of cameras, I had to assess 3 things. 1. Must do  2. Want to do. 3. Simply Can't do.
Now I evaluate everything... time with my family, junkin, fixin, socializin, shoppin, & bloggin.  Where do each of these things I love fit into the three categories? Family, obviously in category #1!  Socializin, #2 but often falls over into #3.  Junkin & shoppin, #1 & #2.  Fixin...usually #1 and sometimes #3.  Blogin...well, over the past few months, bloggin fell into the third category...I just simply haven't had the time.  This makes me really sad as I've always secretly wanted to be a writer.  Blogin was my way to live vicariously in a writers world.  I'd love to say I'll be postin 3 times a week!  Or, I'll be postin 2 times....1 time...ok I know how realistic this is....I'll be postin as often as I can.  Sometimes it maybe a few times a week...or it may be once a month.  Regardless, part of my success is taking time to fit all that I am into these above 3 categories...though some make me more sad then others when they fall into the 3rd category....cleaning the toilet...when that falls into the 3rd category...no love lost there!

Now back to cameras...bloggin is all about the pretty pictures.  Editing pictures for a blog is a HUGE time sucker!  Which is why blogin falls into the 3rd category so often.  I can take a good picture, not a great picture...editing is both my friend and my enemy.  And more often than I care to confess, is the reason why I've not posted in so long.

 

So I'll post as often as I can.  Please forgive me for poorly edited pictures, misspelled words, and my ramblings.  These are all just a part of who I am, and why I'm successful. :)

Until next time~

Enjoy today, it's a present!

My Monday Muse

Hello & Happy Monday!

Since last week was the last Monday of the month, I have a winner from those who linked up!

Cyndi from Blue Star Antiques shared her 2012 Bests and it won her this fantastic gift!

Frog tape is amazing and I use it all the time!  I hope Cindi enjoys the collection she will be receiving!

Here are the rules for My Monday Muse…

1.) Please feel free to share about a piece you have completed, restored, renewed, recycled, re-purposed, or anything that inspires you!  A dresser, a sign, a cloud, a picture, restaurant, house, or a person.

2.) Post a permalink (the link to the post), not the link to your blog or Pintrest.

3.) This party will close Sunday at midnight CST and I will choose my favorite and feature their piece on next week’s My Monday Muse.

4.) Please link back to My Monday Muse and visit others sharing their inspirations!  Grab a button from the right--->

5.)  Give-a-way links, links to Pintrest, and other links that do not fall into the above category will regrettably be deleted.

And don't forget, the last Monday of the month is Gift-A-Way time!  And this month I will Gift-A-Way a Dash & Albert Rug!

Dash & Albert Photo Credit

On to the party!

Happy New Year & Monday Muse & Gift-A-Way!

As this year comes to a close, it's amazing for me to look back over this year and see how much I have grown.  My business has settled in a good bit from the first time the doors were open and every day I am thankful for the wonderful customers who visit and shop my small business, and truly all small businesses!  To all the customers and friends who shop every week or just once in a while that keep my doors open and I am so thankful for each and everyone of you!  I pray this year holds wonderful and exciting new endeavors and we can continue to share our stories! Happy New Year to You my sweet friends as we welcome 2013! 

On to My Monday Muse! AND this is the last Monday of the month not to mention the year!  That means a random guest will receive a very special something from Carter's Cottage the shop~ and it's a surprise this time!

I don't know what the electric feeling is when I see someone has shared a new use for something old!  I LOVE how Emma Kate of Painted Style uses this ol printers drawer for her amazing vintage ornaments!  And a vintage chocolate box, well I love that as much as I love chocolate!

Painted Style

I can't wait to see what you link up in 2013!

Here are the rules for My Monday Muse…

1.) Please feel free to share about a piece you have completed, restored, renewed, recycled, re-purposed, or anything that inspires you!  A dresser, a sign, a cloud, a picture, restaurant, house, or a person.

2.) Post a permalink (the link to the post), not the link to your blog or Pintrest.

3.) This party will close Sunday at midnight CST and I will choose my favorite and feature their piece on next week’s My Monday Muse.

4.) Please link back to My Monday Muse and visit others sharing their inspirations!  Grab a button from the right--->

5.)  Give-a-way links, links to Pintrest, and other links that do not fall into the above category will regrettably be deleted.

And don't forget, it's Gift-A-Way time! 
On to the party!

Getting Started: Sanding

A recap:
Getting Started we looked at mixing the paint properly, cleaning your surface, and creating the French look.
Getting Started: To Prime or NOT to Prime
and this week is
Getting Started: Sanding

Tip #4 Throw out traditional ideas/processes about furniture prep, especially when it comes to sanding.

Now when most people think sanding in the traditional painting furniture sense, they grab their orbital sander and sand down to the wood.  EEK! DON'T DO THAT!  When we chat about sanding for use with Chalk Paint, it really means to give the high gloss finish a haze.

Also, most people use a too aggressive grit sandpaper when prepping the surface.  Just because it's a poly finish doesn't mean you need a 75 grit sand paper.  It is very easy to actually scratch the surface by using the wrong sandpaper.  When a scratch results, it can be very laborious to correct, and though paint covers a multitude of sins, it may not cover deep scratches.  I typically only use 220, by hand when prepping my surface.  It's quick, easy, and I have full control of how aggressive I haze my piece.

Here's what Annie has to say about sanding:

There will be times when you will need to sand your piece of furniture or other object:

•        Use 100-220 grit sandpaper to get rid of loose paint and other debris.
•        Use 220 grit sandpaper on shiny or glossy surfaces (these can include melamine and laminates)
•        To remove rust, sand the surface with 100-220 grit garnet sandpaper; wash the surface with soap and water, rinse well and quickly and thoroughly dry the surface (a hairdryer is useful): use a metal primer to seal.

 Here's a quick guide of the different types and uses of sandpapers I use:

220 grit- it's your new best friend!

• To haze a glossy finish
• Knocks off loose paint and dirt
• Gently distress the edges of a finish
• When using a circular motion, flattens out the brush strokes and other imperfections in the paint

350-1000 grit

• Prior to using wax, further enhances a modern finish
• Buffs the paint on frames so no wax is needed

I almost never use any sandpaper with a more aggressive grit than 220.  In addition, I almost never use 600+ on pieces I sell in my shop.  Most people will not be able to tell the difference for the increase in price using a higher grit sandpaper will require.  
On a side note, 600+ grit sand papers are:
 1. More expensive
2. black, which will not affect the paint
3. clog up quickly

Tip #5 use a dry paint brush to dust your surface after sanding/distressing. 
If you typically use a damp towel, don't!  The paint can reconstitute itself and may alter your finish.

This pretty much wraps up the Getting Started series.  Next we will look at distressed finishes
Until then, 220- your new best friend!

Christmas Eve Monday Muse

With tonight being Christmas Eve, I thought it would only be fitting to focus on the real reason for the season.  I understand may of you may be working on projects and would love to share them...but this week I am choosing to honor God and take this time to be with my family both in my home and in my blog world.
And though next week is another wonderful holiday eve and many will be celebrating the excitement of what 2013 has to hold, we will have the My Monday Muse Linky party and Gift-A-Way :)

I pray this so very special Christmas season brings you much joy and wonderful memories of time spent with loved ones near and far.

Merry Christmas my friends!
Christie

Getting Started: To Prime or NOT to Prime

This is where the teacher in me comes out.  Speaking from personal experience, it's always easier to remember something important if it can be tied to something you already remember...so this is my lame attempt to get you to remember about priming. 

To Prime or NOT to Prime, That is the question!
YOU NEVER PRIME!  That's right, NEVER prime.  You see, priming doesn't work because it's all chemical.  It doesn't have a foundation for wood to respond to naturally which is why priming never works.  Especially the water based primers...these simply draw out the tannins or natural pigment in the wood. What does work is shellac.

Shellac is a sealant & finish for raw wood for protection against water & humidity.

Tip #2 be sure to mix the shellac up properly according to the manufacturers recommendation.  If you don't, it will not seal the raw wood properly and can potentially ruin your painted finish.  It can take up to 2 coats for the best results.

Tip #3 Shellac comes CLEAR and TINTED.  Unless I'm using Pure White, I always use CLEAR.  This allows me to distress darker colors without seeing a halo of white tint.  Not very attractive when wanting to achieve a modern finish with Graphite~

Shellac functions as a tough natural sealant, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, and high-gloss varnish.
It can be used for the following purposes:

·       Use one or two coats to remove musty smells on untreated wood.

·       Use one or two coats to prevent the tannins within knot holes or open grain from bleeding through.

·       With some pieces of furniture, typically pieces from the 1930s & 1940s, after painting the first coat there is either a yellow or pink stain, which bleeds through the paint. Resist the urge to apply another coat of paint. No matter how many coats you paint, the stain color will continue to bleed through. Use one or two coats of shellac to block these bleeding stains. Annie recommend wiping it on with a cloth pad. It dries in minutes and you can get on with painting almost immediately!

·       Shellac preforms best when applied with a rag or brush.

·       Get in the habit of dating your can; shellac has a shelf life of only 6-9 months.

 Shellac is HIGHLY flammable as it's key ingredient is denatured alcohol.  Be sure to use in a well ventilated area away from flame & spark!  On the upside of this, it dries in minutes!  You know, pros with the cons always! lol~

Next week, we will talk sanding & sand papers.

Until then~ Happy shellac-ing!

A Day of Silence~